Kept Under Ice
by Toa Allanon
Summary: The powerless Pohatu and Kopaka must work together to find a Kanohi Nuva before both succumb to the cold. Or before they get fed up with each other. Whichever happens first.


Author's Note: This story is based on Chapter 1 of _Bionicle Chronicles #4: Tales of the Masks_ by Greg Farshtey. As it is, 24.3% of this story is quoted from the book (the quoted material is only dialogue, though not all of the dialogue is quoted; and yes, I did go through and count all the quoted words). I try to keep to the original storyline as close as I can without plagiarizing or messing up canon. This story belongs to Greg, but I have added some scenes and details that are not in the book. The book tells this story from both Pohatu's and Kopaka's perspective off and on, but in my story it is all from Pohatu's view. Also, this is not a romance story. I don't write romance of any sort, particularly between robots. This is a oneshot, however I do have a lengthy chapter story about Kopaka during the Quest for the Masks which I will start posting after I'm finished with Dynamics.

Main Characters: Pohatu Nuva, Kopaka Nuva

Timeline: Bohrok-Kal Saga

**Kept Under Ice**

Pohatu Nuva started out that day in search of Kopaka. With his powers gone he needed any help he could get, even from the icy recluse. He had just spotted the Ice Toa's form a few hundred feet away from him on Mount Ihu. Kopaka was climbing steadily uphill while Pohatu was finding it almost impossible to take a step in this snow that came up to his hips. The snow was falling at a normal rate, and Pohatu feared it would trap him before Kopaka even noticed him.

"Brother!" Pohatu cringed at how his voice sounded across the snowy pass. He heard the distant roar of an avalanche unleashed by his yell speed down the mountain somewhere. Kopaka turned and looked down at him. And then, without any recognition that the Stone Toa was there, he continued on his path.

_He saw me, _Pohatu thought, frustrated at Kopaka's refusal to be friendly even in perilous times.

"I know you can hear me!" His voice caused a ceiling of icicles to rain on Kopaka, who dodged them expertly. But the Toa of Ice merely continued on his way without even glancing back. It was getting dark and yet Kopaka continued to ignore him. Then Pohatu slipped on some ice and fell with a thud. He tried to rise but found it a bit difficult with all the soft snow around and nothing solid to grip.

_Trying to get Kopaka is really quite tiring,_ Pohatu thought as he watched Kopaka's figure gaining distance. _If I stay here, perhaps he will come to me._With that a sinister idea came to him.

"Help! Brother, help me!" he called out to the Ice Toa. He knew that this sort of trickery was not very Toa-like, but his brother was being very obstinate. His cry for help got instant reply. Within moments, the Ice Toa was by his side.

Kopaka stretched his hand out to help him up. "I will help you up. Then you will leave my land," he said in his quiet monotone.

"I have a better idea," Pohatu replied cheerfully, quickly getting up on his large feet. "I'll get up on my own, thanks, and then we'll travel together."

Kopaka glared at him and muttered accusingly, "You faked your fall."

Pohatu quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, brother, the fall was real. Tricky things these snow fields. I welcomed the rest. And while I was lying there, I thought, trying to get Kopaka is really quite tiring, if I stay here, perhaps he will come to me."

Kopaka sighed. The Ice Toa had many sighs. This one said, 'I'll tell you why you're an idiot.'

"There is a blizzard coming. With my ice powers stolen by the Bohrok-Kal, I will not be able to stop it," he urged, "Turn back."

Pohatu folded his arms across his chest. "Here I am, and here I'll stay," he declared stubbornly.

Kopaka shrugged, snow falling off his shoulders. "Very well," the Ice Toa said coldly. "When I reach Ko-Koro, I will tell Turaga Nuju to have you dug out when the thaw arrives...if it ever does." And with that he turned around and started walking on.

_Some _encouragement, Pohatu snorted. He frowned and loped after him, almost falling again. "I thought we could help each other," he panted as he tried to keep pace with the adept Toa. "There are many masks to find. Don't you remember how well we worked as a team when we first arrived in Mata Nui?"

"You buried me in a landslide, as I recall," Kopaka replied tartly without missing a beat.

"Oh. Well, I didn't do it on purpose," he said, embarrassed as he remembered that accident. The Toa of Stone was finding it difficult to keep track of the Toa of Ice, but he managed to notice that Kopaka was following an ice path. "Besides, that can't happen now. I've lost my powers, just like you have."

Kopaka stopped, glaring at him with his steely azure gaze. "Pohatu." His tone conveyed slight annoyance and determination. "I do not want your help. I do not need help. I will find the Kanohi Nuva on my own."

Pohatu opened his mouth to answer, but Kopaka had disappeared into the dark and swirling snow. _You may not need my help, brother, but I most certainly need yours,_he thought bleakly. He stared after him for a while then started forward, following Kopaka's foot prints before they vanished. A few moments later the blizzard that Kopaka had predicted stuck. It was the fiercest one Pohatu could remember from all his escapades in Ko-Wahi but he guessed that was because Kopaka could no longer keep it under control. It was filled with pelting ice, biting wind, and below freezing temperatures. Very soon Kopaka's trail had disappeared.

Pohatu stopped and hugged himself, shivering and thinking. He knew Kopaka was following that ice path. Now his only problem was locating it. If he searched for it by digging, he would freeze to death. Perhaps, he could find help in his Kakama Nuva. He knew that their enhanced Kanohi gained extra abilities. _This is going to look silly, but it's definitely worth a try._ Doing his best to ignore the biting cold that threatened to take his life, he anchored his feet to the ground as best he could to keep his balance. Then he held his arms out and began to spin them, sending his Kakama's power through them. Soon they became two whirlwinds and sent twin bursts of air shooting at the blizzard before him. This cleared away the snow and let him see Kopaka's path.

Pohatu grinned in spite of the cold and continued after Kopaka. "Let's see Kopaka do that," he said to himself happily. "And wait till I show Lewa that trick."

He had to repeat his little wind trick a few times to keep track of the path. He knew that Kopaka's warnings of death were not without cause. He continued walking for quite a while before he heard any sign of life. As he entered a canyon area, the snowstorm lessened enough for him to hear a loud roar. Pohatu dashed in the direction of the sound. He crested a boulder outcropping and found himself overlooking a large pass on the edge of the blizzard. In the valley there was a Muaka chasing Kopaka. The white Toa was running toward a dead end. Panic hit Pohatu as he envisioned the Rahi's imminent attack. For the millionth time he wished for his powers back.

Then Kopaka used his sword and vaulted into the air, momentarily out of reach. He hit the mountain and began slipping. There was a small ledge he was barely able to catch as he slid. It was clear that he would not be able to keep his grip for much longer, and the tiger was not about to give up its prey.

Without hesitation Pohatu threw one of his climbing claws to Kopaka. The strong, hooked tool latched itself fast in the stone. Kopaka grabbed it and hung on. The Muaka below snapped and snarled as Kopaka hauled himself fully up on the ledge. The Muaka growled and leaped again and again, trying to climb up to the Toa.

_These things are as stubborn as brother Kopaka is, _he thought in amusement. Then Pohatu threw a rock as far as he could away from Kopaka. It cracked against another rock a ways off. The Muaka paused in its task and turned toward the sound. Pohatu threw some more rocks in the same general direction before the powerful cat loped off curiously. As soon as it rounded a bend and was out of sight Pohatu slid down to Kopaka.

"I might not still command the rock," he said with a smile, "but at least I can still toss one. Nice plan though."

Kopaka pulled the climbing claw out and threw it to Pohatu. "I thought you had turned back."

Pohatu shrugged. "I was going to. But mask hunting alone is like playing Kohlii alone. Good practice, but not much fun."

Kopaka slid down and approached Pohatu. When he spoke his normally icy tone wasn't there. "You should go home, Pohatu. This is no place for you...perhaps not even for me any more."

_Poor guy,_ Pohatu thought. _Not feeling welcome in your own element must be hard._Kopaka looked tired and winded and…cold? He stared in shock as he realized that the Ice Toa was shivering. Kopaka avoided his gaze, looking at the ground or scenery instead.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the present situation. "Turaga Onewa said something to me before I left Po-Koro. He said it's easy to be a hero when you have plenty of power and your only worry is what ever enemy is fool enough to challenge you. It's not so easy when all you have is your wits and your biggest enemy is yourself."

Kopaka's eyepiece whirred and Pohatu knew he was looking through the mountain sides. This time he spoke with his normal icy tone. "That sounds like Onewa. You two are much like the stone you represent. Solid. Practical. Down-to-earth."

Pohatu was surprised to hear such praise from Kopaka. "Well, thanks, I -"

Kopaka interrupted, "Dense. Hard-headed. And Stubborn."

Pohatu glared at Kopaka. "You're welcome, Kopaka. Oh, no, rescuing you was my pleasure."

Kopaka glared back and snapped, "If your trick had failed, the Muaka might have had us both. The strength of the Toa would have been reduced by one-third and our villages would be in peril. Foolish risks are a luxury we cannot afford."

As they spoke Pohatu noticed a trembling in the ground. He glanced up and pointed up the mountain. "Then maybe we should get out of the way of the avalanche!" Right as he said that the white wall collided with the pair, pulling them down the hill with a mighty roar.

Pohatu was slammed against rocks and hard and sharp objects. When the flow stopped they were at the base of Mt. Ihu, half buried in the snow. Pohatu was aching from head to foot but he forced himself up and worked his way out of the deep snow.

Pohatu turned to Kopaka and growled, "I hate winter."

Kopaka sighed comtemplatively. "The Mask of Shielding would have protected us from that. We need to find the Kanohi Nuva now. As long as you are here, Pohatu..." He sighed again, a regretting sigh. "You might as well as travel with me."

Pohatu brushed the snow off his arms and legs, rubbing himself in an attempt to warm up. "It's certainly been fun so far. Onewa mentioned a Mask of Shielding in a cave near here. Any idea where that might be?"

As to be expected, Kopaka didn't answer. He activated his Kanohi and began scanning the mountain. Since the Akaku Nuva could share its powers with those around, Pohatu could see the caves and tunnels that were entwined in Mount Ihu. Pohatu noticed the cave entrance.

"It is nearby," Kopaka stated. "Perhaps half a kio up the mountian. But the entrance is - "

Pohatu activated his Mask and sped to the entrance and came back in a second. "Blocked by boulders. I know. I saw." Pohatu turned to Kopaka and seeing his startled expression said, "Mask of Speed, remember?"

Kopaka's eyes narrowed and his voice was icy and hard. "Don't do that again."

Pohatu was getting a little fed up with Kopaka's attitude but guessed it must have really startled his fellow Toa to have disappeared without warning. The two began their trek up the mountain, fighting against the dark and storm. Finally, the stress of the cold and Kopaka's behavior got to Pohatu.

"What's the matter brother? I rescue you, you aren't pleased; I scout ahead to save time, you aren't pleased. Is there no pleasing you, Toa of Ice?"

Kopaka stopped short and turned around, just inches from Pohatu. "I am not here to be pleased. I am here to find Kanohi Nuva so I can regain my stolen powers and truly be the Toa of Ice again. If you wish to help, fine, If you wish to talk...seek out Toa Lewa."

Not another word was said by either until they reached the entrance. When they reached the cave mouth it was indeed covered from top to bottom with large boulders.

The Toa of Stone watched Kopaka try in vain to pry the stones away with his blade. After a few tries he gave up in frustration.

"Difficult," Kopaka muttered. Pohatu, who had been observing, found a solution.

"No, no. Simple. Watch me." Pohatu approached and felt around with his hands. He put pressure here and there, testing the rocks. "It's a puzzle, brother," he explained. "Each stone supports another. Alone they are powerful. Together, even a Toa cannot budge them. But the key to the puzzle is there, if you know how to look."

"Where did you learn this?" Kopaka asked, almost sounding as if he were interested.

Pohatu smiled and replied, "Onewa taught me. He said that his knowledge of rock is older than the rocks themselves. Not quite sure what he meant by that, but it certainly sounds impressive. Ah! Here we are." Pohatu found what he was looking for and kicked at a stone with all his might. The impact stung, but it was a success. The rock shattered and other stones fell, deprived of their cornerstone. "See? When they can't work together and share the burden, they can't perform their task." Pohatu smiled again. He thought he saw Kopaka's mouth twitch in a sort of smile.

"Yes, brother. Perhaps I do see," Kopaka said as he walked forward into the tunnel.

Pohatu trailed behind and was afraid of losing sight of the ice Toa, but Kopaka pulled out a lightstone from somewhere. It reflected off the icy walls of the tunnel, illuminating the close space well. As they walked Pohatu studied the walls. They reminded him of the tunnels in the Bohrok's lair. But then again, every tunnel he encountered after that looked like it to him.

"I was concerned."

Pohatu stopped walking, wondering if his ears were not playing tricks on him.

Kopaka stopped a few paces ahead of him. "It was how a Matoran died several years back. Avalanches leave traps in their wake. Pits. When you disappeared like that, it brought back…unpleasant memories."

Kopaka continued walking in silence. Pohatu followed, not wanting to get left behind in the dark. He was also trying to process this display of emotion on the Ice Toa's part. He also began to respect Kopaka's knowledge of his own realm more.

They had walked for a very long time when suddenly Kopaka put his ice blade in front of the brown Toa to stop him. Pohatu saw why. Just a few inches from them was a great crevasse that halted the passage. Pohatu knelt down and squinted, trying to see the bottom.

"It's blacker than Makuta's spirit down there, brother. No telling how far it goes," Pohatu murmured.

Pohatu heard Kopaka's Mask whir slightly and they both saw the Hau, a small item very far away. "We will find out. The Kanohi Hau is at the bottom," Kopaka said as he deactivated his Mask.

Pohatu groaned and stood up. "Someday I am going to have a long talk with whoever hid these Kanohi," he said, mostly to himself, and checked to make sure his climbing claws were on securely. He looked at his ice brother and saw that he and split his ice blade into two pieces, as he normally did when he would skate, to use as climbing pikes. Kopaka looked back down into the hole and scanned it. Then he turned to Pohatu and nodded.

"We begin," Kopaka said tersely.

Pohatu bent down and lodged one of his claws into the wall and swung his body down. The descent was slow, but at least ice was not covering every surface this far into the tunnel. Pohatu listened to the crunch of stone as the two rammed their tools into the cold, vertical surface again and again.

Though Pohatu was used to climbing rocks, frozen rocks were very different. At one point, his climbing claw slipped and he felt himself falling to the bottom. But Kopaka swiftly swung his body around and caught the stone Toa around the waist with his legs. Pohatu shuddered as he looked down at what was almost his end. Then he rammed his claws back into the wall and whispered a thanks to his fellow Toa. But as usual, Kopaka made no statement. When Pohatu finally felt the icy, solid ground beneath, he sighed in relief and stood panting for a while. They looked at the mask, wedged in a far corner. Kopaka stepped forward but Pohatu grabbed him, frowning. Something was wrong.

"Hold on brother! Do you feel that?"

Kopaka turned to him. "What?"

"I am not one with the earth like Onua, but something is wrong...very wrong."

Just as he finished his sentence a violent tremor shook the mountain, nearly knocking the pair off their feet. Even though he could not see far in the darkness, Pohatu looked up instinctively, hearing numerous very large objects crashing down toward them. Without a second though, Pohatu pushed Kopaka hard, sending him flying towards the Hau Nuva. Then he braced himself and felt impact. The massive boulders began crushing him. Soon, the weight caused him to lose consciousness.

Pohatu was surprised when he came to. He had not expected to still be alive. He began to slowly push his way up through the heavy mounds of rock and ice. Finally he reached the surface, but there was no sign of Kopaka. Looking around frantically, Pohatu staggered to his feet and took a few steps. He was exhausted and his body ached, but he was alive. He hoped the same for his brother. Then he saw the marks that Kopaka's tools made when he left as well as his attempt to rescue him.

Pohatu smiled happily. _Good, he's alive._ _He probably thinks I'm dead_. _Well, I'm gonna have to disappoint him._

Pohatu leaned against the icy wall and sat down. He knew he would not have enough energy to make the climb, but perhaps there was another way. Pohatu stood up and steadied himself against the wall. Then he began walking around, following the wall with his hand. It was dark, so he could not rely on sight. He had not walked too far when he found a tunnel branching off. He walked in and continued walking for a few minutes when he found a sign of hope. There was a lightstone embedded in the wall, like the ones in the Onu-Koro tunnels. He walked along for who knows how long and passed by several more lightstones.

He laughed joyfully when he found a sign. It read "Onu-Koro Highway" and below that had and arrow pointing in the direction he came from and the words "Ko-Wahi" above it. The arrow pointing in the direction Pohatu was heading read "Po-Wahi." Pohatu smiled and continued along his way. He lost track of how long he had been walking when the tunnel began to incline and he saw light up ahead. When he stepped outside into the Po-Wahi sun he sighed deeply. It was morning by now and he felt as tired as could be. He stretched out on the ground and closed his eyes. He meant only to rest but ended up falling asleep.

He welcomed the rest and when he woke up it was past noon. Pohatu stood up and stretched. He rubbed his bruises which, unlike his weariness, had not disappeared. Pohatu crested a bluff nearby and saw a path a way off. He activated his Kakama and sped off to the dusty path. He recognized it as the one leading to the shore line west of Po-Koro and sped off in the direction of Po-koro. He arrived in his village instantly and walked into Turaga Onewa's hut. Turaga Onewa looked at him in shock.

"Toa Pohatu, you look terrible. What happened?"

Pohatu related the story in detail as Onewa fussed over his wounds. Then Hewkii hurried in and gave a quick bow to Onewa.

"Turaga Onewa, Toa Kopaka is approaching." Pohatu grinned and watched Onewa exit with an odd look on his Kanohi Komau. Pohatu stayed out of view and listened to what Kopaka had to say.

"You journey alone, Kopaka, in this dangerous land?" Onewa inquired.

"No," Kopaka's voice held a slight ring of sadness. "I journey with the memory of a fallen brother." Pohatu peered out the doorway and saw Kopaka hand the Hau Nuva to the Turaga. "This belongs here. Without Pohatu, it would never have been found..." Kopaka paused, "Nor would I be alive to carry it. He died as he lived, a true hero."

Pohatu decided to let his brother know he still existed. "I thank you for that brother!" Pohatu called out with a wide grin. He walked over to the Toa of Ice.

Kopaka turned around and smiled at Pohatu. "Pohatu! It is good to see you good to see you once more." He stopped and quickly frowned. But everyone saw the smile and heard the joy in his voice. "I mean, it is good to know that Po-Koro will not be left undefended in this time of danger."

"Thanks to you." Pohatu explained, "The power of the Mask of Shielding protected me, but not before I was stunned by the falling rubble. Still, it enabled me to survive the quake and your efforts made it easier for me to dig myself out. Too tired to climb, I walked until I found a tunnel that led to another, and so on. I emerged in an Onu-Wahi tunnel and made my way here."

Kopaka turned to Onewa and took the Hau back. Then he handed it to Pohatu. "This is yours. Although I believe your courage is a greater shield than this mask could ever be, Toa of Stone."

"I will take the mask anyway, brother, with gratitude," he replied, placing the Kanohi on his face. "For I believe we will need every bit of power - and all our courage - to make it through the days to come."

Kopaka nodded and turned away to go. Pohatu knew it would be cruel to ask the Ice Toa to stay in the heat, but he still wished they could spend more time together. Pohatu knew that the next time they met, Kopaka would probably pretend this never happened.

Soon the Po-Matorans were clamoring over Pohatu, asking him questions about his little adventure. But Pohatu was soon on his way to search for more masks so he could regain his stolen powers. He hoped that his friendship with Kopaka would not change once the solitary Toa regained his powers as well. But whatever happened, Pohatu would not forget those few moments when Kopaka had shown real concern and care.


End file.
